Help!!! Beach Vacation in Gulf Shores

[RookieDisneyMom]

I need help planning a vacation for my family to the beach next year. I want to go in June. There will be my husband, myself, 9 DS and 2 DS. Does anyone have any suggestions of a good, kid-friendly hotel or condo that we can get. We plan on staying 3 - 4 nights and need suggestions of things to do to keep kids entertained. This is our first beach vacation. I have been to the beach before but my husband and boys have never been. None of us have been to Gulf Shores so we don't know what there is to do besides the beach. Any suggestions are gladly appreciated.

 

[RyJMom]

We love that area. We have been 4 or 5 times and stay in Orange Beach. You can't really tell where Gulf Shores ends and Orange Beach begins. We have always stayed at Admirals Quarters and love it. We book through Kaiser Realty. They have lots of properties in both towns.

There is an outlet Mall in Foley that we always try to hit. There is also a Lamberts restaurant that is a must do every trip. We usually spend most of our time on the beach or in the pool. We eat most meals at the condo but do have a few nice meals out.

 

[RookieDisneyMom]

ok thank you. We love outlet malls so I am sure we will make that a priority stop.

 

[princessmom29]

Have you looked at Ft. Morgan condos? We stay on the Ft. Morgan side every summer nad find that they are much cheaper than orange beach/gulf shores and are only a few miles from the main "strip". We love it there because it is more laid back and less crowded. All the condos on the Gulf side of Ft. Morgan road will be beachfront. The ones on the bay side will have you walk across the street to the beach.
We are sort of "locals" as We had a summer house in Orange Beach untill I was in college. WE spent a ton of time at the beach. For a really special night out I love Zekes. It is a nice restaurant on a marina with beautiful views. Lake Shelby is great for fishing, but not so much for swimming. Gulf stae parrk is a good place to go for Gulf front access if you are staying in a place without it, but the is a small admission charge. Last time we went it was $3 a head, but they have bathrooms and showers on the beach. There is a place in Orange Beach called The Hangout that has been a fixture since the early 60's and it is a must do for us. Great casual food and a fun atmosphere.

 

[I Believe n Fairies]

We love Orange Beach. OUr favorite place to stay is at one of the Phoenix Resorts. All of them have outdoor/indoor pools, balconies facing the beach, and are all beach front.

Here is a link:
http://www.brettrobinson.com/phoenix.php

We love to be lazy on the beach. There are tons of restaurants and shops. There is the normal putt putt/go carts. The BEST place to eat there is Lu Lus. Everyone eats there so there can be a wait, but it's worth it. Great atmosphere and good food. Also visit the Wharf when you're there. There are more boutique shops there, but there is also a huge ferris wheel that is just beautiful at night.

Have fun planning your vacation! If you have any questions, let me know!

 

[princessmom29]

Oh, I forgot LuLu's. Another must do and owed by Jimmy Buffet's sister Lucy!

 

[KNJWDW]

We love Gulf Shores! We are also planning a June vacation there. This time I think we are staying at the Lighthouse Condos. We have used Meyer Real Estate before and they were good to work with http://www.meyerre.com/. I have to agree with Lamberts and LuLus' we will definitely be going back to both of those restaurants. We spend most of the time enjoying the beach or sitting by the pool. It is a great place for a relaxing family vacation. I hope you enjoy it!

Amy

 

[RookieDisneyMom]

Thanks everyone for the ideas. I will researching these places and hopefully get our June trip planned for. Thanks again.

 

[kissy]

There's also all the phoenix resorts! There are some right one the beach then some on the bay side (phoenix on the bay 1 and 2) both the bay ones have lazy rivers and water slides. I also second going to Lulu's! There's also one of our favorite family resturaunts in Perdido Key called the crab trap.

 

[stczt]

I was about to ask the same question. subbing

 

[mary0305]

We stay at The Beach Club which is in Fort Morgan. Beautiful facility!! It is just a short drive back into Gulf Shores.

We love eating at Mikee's Seafood, The Original Oyster House, and Doc's Seafood (Orange Beach Location), and the Shrimp Basket. We try to eat early to avoid the long waits.

Last trip we drove to Pensacola (about 45 minutes-1 hour from Gulf Shores) and watched the Blue Angels practice and then toured the Aviation Musuem. Both were free. After the practice on some days, the pilots come into the museum and do a meet and greet / sign autographs. Our children loved the museum. You can check the Blue Angels website for their practice schedule. We also always play putt/putt at Pirates Adventure.

We always love our trips to the area!! Hope you have a great time!!